A dad from Florida is in trouble with the law for allegedly letting his 18-month-old son, Sebastian, sit in a hot truck for more than three hours. This was while he went to get a haircut and had some drinks at a nearby bar. After showing worrying levels of neglect toward his son on June 6th, Scott Allen Gardner, 33 years old, is facing charges like aggravated manslaughter and child neglect. It took almost two weeks before he was caught and arrested for this mistake.
According to Florida’s Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Gardner left Sebastian “helpless” in the backseat of a truck parked outside Hanky Panky’s Lounge in Ormond Beach.
During a Friday press conference, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that Gardner arrived at the bar around noon and stayed until 2:40 p.m., leaving the toddler inside the vehicle with the windows slightly down and a weak battery-operated fan.
“It was estimated by medical personnel that Sebastian’s body temperature reached 111 degrees,” a press release confirmed.
Medical staff later told deputies that Sebastian was likely dead for at least an hour before Gardner called 911. Instead of seeking help immediately, Gardner first drove home with his son’s lifeless body still in the truck and only then phoned emergency services.
The Timeline of This Florida Dad’s Child Neglect
Investigators pieced together Gardner’s day using security camera footage and speaking with people who saw him. He went to a barbershop first, then parked near Hanky Panky’s Lounge.
He went inside alone and stayed there for almost three hours, sipping on drinks. The sad part is that he didn’t bother returning to his car to check on Sebastian, even when the heat inside was dangerous, which was already too hot in Florida summers.
“He picks up his mother and they go back to Hanky Panky’s for a few more cocktails,” Sheriff Chitwood said, describing Gardner as “a lying sack of [expletive]” for initially giving conflicting accounts of the incident.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of child death & neglect.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, of South Daytona, Florida, has been arrested on aggravated manslaughter of a child & child neglect charges after his 18-month-old son, Sebastian Gardner, died in a hot car on… pic.twitter.com/DYGHMoJgjm
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) June 21, 2025
When Gardner found out Sebastian wasn’t responding, he didn’t rush to get help immediately. The police said he first went to his mom’s place and called 911. This wait might have been what cost Sebastian his life. After they told Sebastian he didn’t make it, Gardner had the nerve to return to that same bar with his mom that night. They stayed until almost twelve!
Chitwood said: “I don’t think there’s a penalty on this Earth that could ever fit for the crime (…) committed here.”
Community’s Outrage, as Sheriff Calls for Accountability
The video of Gardner’s arrest, which was taken by the same policeman who attempted CPR on little Sebastian, has been shared everywhere and has upset people. Adam Haluska, who lives close to where this happened, couldn’t believe it. “You could be drinking in a different setting, like at home, instead of being selfish and going out,” he said.
Stephen Miksits, another person from the neighborhood, called it a “despicable” thing to do. “Leaving kids in a car is a recipe for disaster,” Miksits said. “I wouldn’t have left my kids in the car when they were little, and I wouldn’t now, even though they’re older,” he told Click Orlando.
NEW: Father arrested after 18-month-old son dies in hot unattended truck; body temperature reached 111 degrees
Florida deputies say Scott Allen Gardner, 33, left his 18-month-old son locked in a hot truck for over three hours on June 6
During that time, Gardner allegedly went… pic.twitter.com/YszBFeSSgJ
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) June 19, 2025
The sheriff, Chitwood, talked about it too. He sounded angry and low when he said, “My hope for him is every night when he closes his eyes and every morning when he opens his eyes, his son, Sebastian (…) says, ‘Dad, why did you do this to me?’”
Gardner had to go to court on a Friday and is now stuck in the Volusia County Jail without any chance to leave.
